


Not So Different

by lumiinary



Series: smash bros oneshots [2]
Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Arguing, Canon-Typical Violence, Friendship, Gen, Stream of Consciousness, Talking, bein' friends!, this is one of my first times writing joker so i'm sorry if it's ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 01:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20480654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumiinary/pseuds/lumiinary
Summary: A fic featuring Ness and Joker interacting, with the two of them realizing that perhaps they aren't so different than they seem.





	Not So Different

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic in June, and I'm so glad that I finally finished it. I wrote this when Joker was the only available DLC character, which explains some elements evident in the story. Without further ado, enjoy!

It’s been a few weeks since Ness considered that fight with Joker. The other teen had been busy, mainly when it came to dealing with the hype. It has died down the past few weeks, but people still demanded things from him, especially when it came to him pulling a stunt that impressed them. He didn’t mind it, from the looks of it, but who knows what he felt deep down? 

Pit and Dark Pit were around him the most. They’ve been at it since he came, and that caused them to end up fighting over him every chance they get. Joker doesn’t seem to mind that either, but his calm demeanour will probably cause him to get walked over. 

Because of this, he hasn’t been able to hang out with Ness. He was fine hanging around with his other friends, but it would be nice to be with him again. He hasn’t properly spoke with him ever since the welcoming party. The entire apartment managed to become friends with him, which was understandable, as he was a pretty sociable person underneath the introversion. 

He was thinking this while upright in bed, too lazy to even get up. Thinking about Joker made him remember a conversation from a while ago. 

“So have you been enjoying your time here?” Ness remembered asking Joker in a somewhat awkward manner. 

“It’s been good,” He replied, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, however, with all this attention that’s been sprung on me.” 

Ness couldn’t shoot back with an “I feel ya,” considering he hasn't been in a situation like that. However, he knew he had to say something about it. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Don’t worry, this happens _ every _time someone new comes around.” 

“You sound pretty annoyed.” 

“I’m fine,” Ness replied, “It’s sorta gets repetitive after a while, that’s all.” 

“You’re not used to being the center of attention around here, are you?” 

“Hit the nail right on the head. Not that I’m complaining.”

After a while of thinking, Ness figured he _ was _complaining. But he always thought that, didn’t he? 

He had to get up. If he didn’t get up sooner, he would miss breakfast and wouldn’t have much time before more fights break out. 

So he got up, a headache dawning on him now. He decided to ignore it, as thinking about it would probably make it worse. 

He got dressed, went about his daily routine (which I’m not going to describe because it’s boring and cliche), and walked outside towards the corridor, mostly full to the brim with people, newcomers and veterans alike. 

He walked tiredly downstairs, ignoring anyone who would come in close proximity towards him in an attempt to initiate a conversation. Like seriously, who would stop from doing their daily commute _ just _ to talk to you, especially after you just got up? Though it wasn’t like he hated talking to people (he totally doesn’t!) but why at a time like _ that _?

Nevertheless, he didn’t completely ignore them. Instead, he said a quick “hi,” maybe even a wave after that. But that was it. He didn’t want to prolong his own presence, anyway. Though he didn’t want to seem reserved by _ not _talking. 

Ness reached the bottom of the stairs, seeing as everyone is either sitting down near a table or getting food from not far off. He tried looking for Lucas, who wasn’t in his line of sight. Where could he be, of all places? It’s not like he had anywhere to really go.

“Ness!” He heard someone yelling from not far away. He turned frantically to find the source, only for someone to tap on his shoulder. 

He jumped only slightly, which was out of character for someone like him. Lucas did the same, which was probably on instinct for him. 

Lucas walked him to a table he was sitting at. “Uhh, I’m glad to see you awake for once.” 

“_Sorry for_ being tired,” Ness responded with the same amount of sass. 

“N- no, I think it’s fine that you’re uhh, taking your health into consideration, but uhm…” 

“I’m only joking, Luc. You know that.”

“No, I uh. I don’t.” He sounded embarrassed, to say the least. Though his face probably signified such. 

He was right. Lucas wasn’t that good at noticing jokes, even if it came from a mile away. The punchline would always fly over his head. Not like that was a bad thing, but it was still considered a flaw. Well, it wasn’t like that specific flaw would compare to any of his heavier anxieties. 

An argument cut through Ness’s thoughts in a millisecond. He whipped his head around, and he saw Pit and Dark Pit arguing about Joker. Again!? How many times a week is this going to happen?

"I already asked Joker if he wanted to hang out with me today, Pittoo!!” Pit exclaimed.

“Oh yeah? Well, I asked him if he wanted to hang out this weekend, and he said “yes.” Dark Pit responded in a sour manner. 

Joker was between them, confused as can be. There was really nothing that he could do at this point, and Ness had to admit, he pitied him. He definitely wouldn’t want to be in his position, now that he thought about it. 

They continued to fight until everyone else got tired of it and decided to put them together. Dark Pit didn’t like it, but then again, there always has to be something you don’t like in life, right? 

Ness saw Joker leaving the room. He told Lucas to wait for him, then ran to catch up with the seventeen-year-old. 

“Hey,” He said as vibrant as possible. But hey, not too vibrant. Didn’t want to overwhelm him or anything. 

“Hi,” Joker replied, waving. 

“That sure was something, huh?” Ness asked, looking back. “I can’t believe that’s still happening.” 

He paused to laugh. “You sure got popular overnight, huh?”

“Yeah,” Joker said in the same soft tone, “The girls really tried to get with me, and even some of the guys did the same.”

“Wait, really?” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“Whoa.” 

Joker was probably one of the most hyped up newcomers to ever grace this place. It made sense, seeing as he was an attractive young man who probably had his life together. He also was pretty cool overall. It made Ness wish he was that cool. _And attractive_. 

Ness considered himself a pretty confident person. Though, when faced with others that were much better than him in terms of skill on the battlefield, sense of humor, and appearance he couldn’t help but feel a wave of jealousy strike him. He thought those feelings faded a long time ago, but apparently they were starting to come back. 

“...you okay?” Joker’s voice put him back into reality. Ness jumped on impulse, waving his hands in a dismissive manner. 

“Yeah, uhh, I’m fine! I was just reflecting, that’s all.” 

Joker nodded. He decided to change the subject to subside the gloomy mood. “So what was it like when you were invited here?”

Ness looked at him. “Don’t you know by now? You’re here, after all.”

“I know,” He responded, “That’s not what I’m asking specifically. It must have been different, considering you’re the tenth person to be here. Did you get a letter of some sort?”

“All I remember was bein’ ripped from my time only for a glove to tell me ‘you’re in.’” Ness said, smiling faintly at the memory, “I don’t know when they started doing invitation letters, though. Probably because being torn across different dimensions became painful and you know… out of left field?”

“Really?” 

“Mhm.” 

Something vibrated in Joker’s pocket, and he checked to see what it was. From there, he was carrying a small device Ness wasn’t familiar with. A bright light encapsulated from said device, and seeing Joker swipe through it made him want to know what the thing was. 

“What is _ that _?”

“What’s what?” 

“That _ thing _you’re holding,” Without a second thought, Ness pulled it away from Joker using PSI. 

“That’s my phone?” Joker replied, as if he expected to know what this thing was. This, _ this _was from the future! Or at least it looked that way. 

“Whaaaat?” Ness said, gaping at the sight of it. “No way. _ This _?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Joker continued, clearly in confusion. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what a phone is.”

“Of course I know what a phone is,” Ness said, then chuckled, “And _ this _isn’t it.” 

“What time period are you from, Ness, if you don’t mind me asking? Since we were talking about different dimensions and all.” 

“1994, you?” 

“Oh.”

Ness looked up, disoriented. 

Joker couldn’t help but give a small snicker at the absurdity of the conversation, as well as the fact that Ness didn’t know what a phone is. Well, he _ did _, but not the ones people use nowadays. 

“What?” Ness asked. 

“That explains the sideways cap,” He heard Joker murmur. 

“What is the way I turn my cap have to do with anything?” 

Joker turned away. “Well, considering the timeframe I come from is 2017, hats being turned sideways have since gone out of style, you know?”

Ness frowned at that, but avoided making it too obvious. “Oh yeah?”

Joker nodded. He then proceeded to point at his phone, saying, “Anyways, I’m assuming you want to know how this thing works?” 

Ness’s eyes lit up. 

With that, Joker taught him the ins and outs of using a cell phone. He had no idea if Ness was planning on buying one in the future, but it was possible that he would due to his enthusiasm. 

“I never would have thought we’d get this far in technology,” Ness said, “I thought they only existed in sci-fi shows or somethin’ like that.” 

Before Joker could say anything, Mario ran up to him. “Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but you’ve got a match in five minutes.”

“Got it.” He responded as Mario walked away. 

Joker turned to Ness, wondering if he’d be fine getting left behind like this. As if his mind was being read, Ness told him, “It’s fine. Just do what ya need to do!”

Joker nodded, running after Mario to get ready for his next match. Ness watched him fade away from sight. 

He wondered, at this rate, if he was ever able to fight him. 

Ness watched in awe as Joker beat his opponent into submission. He couldn’t help but let his jaw drop at how fast and efficient his performance was. It was probably the most entertained he’s been while watching a fight. Usually, _ he’d _be the one wanting to fight. 

He was unable to speak. Lucas tried to get words out of him, but he couldn’t. It took a while for his jaw to become loose so he could begin to summarize what he just saw. 

“It’s just that… that was amazing!” 

Lucas turned to him. “That makes you really want to fight him, huh?” 

“Hell yeah!”

“Be careful,” Lucas responded in a meek tone. 

Ness opened his eyes to look at him. “What are you so worried about?” 

“I don’t know,” Lucas replied, averting his eyes for a moment, “It’s just that he looks so strong… I don’t want you to get hurt. Like, too hurt to the point that you can’t move, or something…”

Ness laughed at that notion. “You really think that? C’mon, you know I’m pretty powerful.” 

“As much as him?” 

“Who knows? Maybe I’m as powerful as him. We won’t know until-”

“I know,” Lucas murmured, “I’m just worried.”

“Worried that I’ll get hurt?” Ness continued to face him. “Of course I will. It’s part of getting into a fight.” 

“Why are you acting like that’s a good thing?” 

The two of them headed the rest of the way back to their room in silence, Lucas continuing to worry about Ness’s safety. Some could say that he’s being too neurotic, but was he really?

How was he able to win that fight? 

Ness wasn’t truly aware of how powerful he could be at times. It was especially when he was in a good mood, which wasn’t rare in any sense of the word. Though he knew he wasn’t doing too well the last couple of fights he’s been in, it’s good that he’s finally able to collect himself. 

He sat down on the nearest chair. He felt like he was going to faint if he didn’t. He stared tiredly at the ceiling, the light glaring back at him. 

Hearing someone else sit next to him made him jump, emitting a small squeak. He soon felt his heart sink in embarrassment after that. He turned to see who it was that sat down with him, and the presence of the figure made him sheepish all the more.

“Oh! Hey… Joker,” He said, slurring his words for _ no _apparent reason. Why is he doing that? He even finger gunned at him! Albeit awkwardly, but still! “Lookin’ cool…” 

_ Oh my gosh, what am I saying? Ness, stop it! Stop before he ends up regretting having you as a friend! _

Joker said nothing about that. Instead, he uttered a "thanks."

At that, Ness sighed with relief. 

_ Okay, good. You didn’t completely screw up this time. _

“With that outta the way,” Ness said, “Did you end up winning your match?” 

_ Well, that’s one way to start a conversation. _

“Yes, actually,” Joker replied, “It was a pretty close one, too.” 

_ Alright, now to ask him to fight… _

“Hey, I gotta question.” 

“Hmm?” 

Ness did his best to stay composed as he uttered the words out. “Would you ever consider fighting me at some point?”

Joker got up from his seat, a hand over his mask. Before Ness could wonder what he was about to do with it, he quickly ripped it off, blood decorating his face. With that, his Persona, Arsene, began to manifest itself.

Ness didn’t know what to say. “I take that as a yes…?” 

He didn’t understand the concept of a Persona, or how to activate them. Hell, he didn’t understand any other form of power or magic at all, least of all magic. He could hardly comprehend his own powers half of the time! 

“Head out to the ring whenever you’re ready,” Joker said, interrupting his thoughts. “And don’t think I’ll be going easy on you.” With that, he strolled out of the room. 

Despite being friends with him for quite some time, Ness still found him an oddity at times. I mean, who jumps out of a _ window _ in order to be _ flashy _ and _ impressive _?

When Ness told Lucas and Zelda about fighting Joker, Lucas wasn’t surprised. In fact, he didn’t speak a word to him. Zelda, on the other hand, was flying off the handle. 

“You really don’t need to be that way,” Ness remembered himself saying, “I’ll be fine!”

“We’re just looking after you, is all.” Zelda shot back. 

“You’ve been doing that since that whole Galeem and Dharkon fiasco…” 

“What does that have to do with anything?” 

Ness stopped envisioning the scene as soon as he got ready. He didn’t want to keep Joker waiting, after all.

Ness could feel his heart beating out of his chest now. He didn’t expect to get so worked up about it, but he ended up doing so. Joker turned to him as he walked into the ring, clad in his usual leather jacket and milky white mask. 

“Shall we?” He asked upon seeing his presence.

Ness chuckled at that. “No need to be so formal.” 

He took out his bat, but before he could do anything, Joker swiftly approached, his knife about to pierce Ness. He got out of the way before that could happen. 

“Watch where you’re pointin’ that thing…” Ness couldn’t help but mutter, hoping Joker wouldn’t hear. 

PSI reached his fingers, ready to spout bursts of it at his opponent. Though he knew he shouldn’t use too much, seeing as using it without a second thought isn’t the most lethal strategy. 

He waited for Joker to approach, noticing that he has his next move planned in his head. With that, he picked him up using telekinesis (because there’s no way he’d be able to do that on his own), throwing him across the other side of the room. He ran up to him, waiting for him to get up to plan his next move. 

But that didn’t happen. Instead, Joker initiated a baseball slide, sweeping Ness off his feet. Before he could fall, Joker caught him, then threw him to the other side like he did earlier. 

_ A taste of my own medicine, huh? _ Ness thought. _ Well, two can play at that game! _

He briskly got up, getting his wits about him. He tried to search for Joker on the battlefield in order to read his next attack. But he couldn’t find him, for some reason. 

He felt someone hit him from behind. Before he ended up hurtling to the ground, he broke his fall by putting his hand on the ground, recoiling backwards. He turned around, seeing Joker _ right _in front of him!

_ That clever bastard. _

He swore he could hear him laugh from not far off. 

Ness gripped his bat tighter, ready to swing. Sadly enough, he missed, with Joker attempting to puncture him with his knife. He couldn’t help but shiver, his blood running cold once the knife almost made contact with his body. He jumped backward again, biting his lip. How could he go about this?

Joker snapped his fingers, and as he did, Ness dodged the blow. He knew what Eiha did to his foes, and he did _ not _like it one bit. 

Once Joker was in the air, Ness put his PSI to use. He used PK Flash, despite being aware of the consequences. Weirdly enough, it hit Joker, and he grasped his face where his mask was, tears involuntarily staining his face. He’s probably experiencing one of the symptoms associated with PK Flash. 

Joker groaned, ripping off his mask in quick succession, a red form appearing in Ness’s frontal vision. And just like that, he knew he was screwed. 

He knew he couldn’t run on the spot. He had to do _ something _. And if that meant risking his life to be killed by Arsene, then so be it. 

Joker snapped, using Eigaon, the powerful form of Eiha. Ness dodged it, using his bat to counterattack. Joker jumped backward, using his gun this time. Ness couldn’t dodge all the blows, but did his best to do so. 

Ness was finally close to him and in grabbing range. So he ran up to him, grabbing whilst pummeling him via PSI, then throwing him across the ring. 

Joker slowly got up, with Ness still hot on his heels. Ness swung his bat, with Joker doing nothing to dodge it. He got his knife, ready to pierce his opponent with it. He did, seeing as Ness blocked it using his hand. 

His hand was now a bloody mess, and he started to heal it using Lifeup β. He was only able to heal it halfway, as Joker was running recklessly towards him. Ness got his bat, blocking his kicks with it. He waited until Joker got really close, then burned him with PK Fire.

Once again, Ness’s bat collided with Joker’s knife. Ness levitated away, taking a breather. Joker jumped, now in front of him, about to kick him. Unfortunately, Ness couldn’t get out of the way in time. He landed painfully onto the ground, unable to support himself. However, he was able to roll out of the way once Joker was ready to hit him again, his knife meeting the ground. 

Ness’s hand met solid ground, pulling himself back. He couldn’t help but start to breathe raggedly too. Fighting is really tiring, especially with an opponent willing to put up a fight. 

He ran up to Joker, bat in hand, ready to attack him. Arsene was gone by now, and all that was left was himself. Joker got his grappling hook ready as he saw Ness hovering in the air. With that, the hook grabbed onto Ness’s leg, sending him downwards. Ness then used PK Fire to singe the hook, setting him free. 

Ness still had his baseball bat in his right hand as he landed safely on the ground. Joker silently cussed at the sight of his now charred grappling hook. At that, Ness wanted to laugh, but held it in as to not despair Joker any further. 

Before the duo could commit to any further attack, a spherical object floating in the air piqued their interest. They looked up to see that it was the Smash Ball. Ness and Joker looked at each other, then sprinted up to wherever the Smash Ball was. 

Even though their eyes were primarily on the ball holding the key to victory, the two of them knew they had to distract the other from trying to get it. PSI danced around Ness’s finger, with Joker holding his gun firmly.

Ness shot sparks of PK Thunder, with Joker using whatever bullets he had left in his gun. They both attempted to dodge the other’s attack to the best of their ability, but for the most part, they were unable to. 

Ness was too slow to catch up with Joker, but that didn’t mean he could give up hope. 

He knew exactly what to do. He collected his thoughts, telling himself to concentrate. He knew panicking about Joker being close to the Smash Ball would make it less likely for him to use PSI anyway.

Ness used his telekinesis again, sending Joker flying. With Joker behind him, he reached the Smash Ball, beating it up until its power cascaded inside his veins. 

He relaxed, victory in his grasp. 

As he used PK Starstorm, Joker was unable to get up. Ness landed on the ground, the crowd cheering, some calling his name. He had won the fight, and he had never felt so proud. 

A few minutes passed after the match. Ness freshened up, talked to a few people, and otherwise did what he normally did after a match. 

He ended up on the balcony, watching what was left of the blue sky and pink clouds. He did this often, usually when nobody was around, and whenever he was bored out of his mind. The feeling always lasted after fights, as fighting seemed to be the only thing he wanted to do nowadays. He had nothing better to do after saving the world anyway.

As he continued to gaze at the sky, he felt some sort of presence, and he wasn’t sure if it was due to his powers or something else. He hastily turned to his side, seeing Joker now beside him. He didn’t have enough energy to make a sound to show that he was scared. For now, he said, “Oh hi.”

Joker was wearing his school uniform instead of his usual attire. At the sight of Ness, he smiled warmly, returning the gesture. 

Ness still couldn’t believe that he had beaten Joker earlier today. He just _ couldn’t _believe it. As proud as he was at the moment, guilt filled his entire body. Or perhaps it wasn’t guilt. But it was a feeling Ness was unable to shake off. 

He knew fighting in Smash was all fun and games. But Joker was his _ friend _. He didn’t want to hurt him at all, especially since he just got here and how he also obliterated his undefeated status. 

Ness assumed that Joker must be thinking about something too, considering he’s wearing a distant look on his face. 

“You’re not mad about me beating you or anything, right?” Ness asked out of nowhere.

Joker turned to face Ness. “Why would I be?” 

Maybe he _ was _being too insecure. “I dunno, I just thought you were. I kinda think that way for everyone now, I guess.” 

He was insecure when it came to a lot of things. Like why was he here, in _ Smash _, of all places? It was a world where popular heroes and villains would fight to the death, but Ness didn’t find himself to be popular at all. Sure, he felt as if he’s gained popularity since he first came here, but he still felt out of place.

He wondered if Joker felt the same way, now that he’s here. He seemed to carry a popular air around him, but it didn’t seem like he appreciated said popularity. 

“Hey, uhm,” Ness said, _ already _starting to trip up on his words, “Do you ever feel as if you don’t belong?”

Joker examined his features, causing Ness to look away on impulse. Why was he staring at him, and so intently, might he add!? 

“All the time.” 

Ness turned to look at the view some more. “Hmm. I can see why, considering your… occupation.” He wanted to ask why he was staring intently at him, but no, that’s not important.

“I don’t understand why I’m here, either,” Joker continued, averting his eyes, “I do my handiwork in the shadows, so how would anybody recognize me and my accomplishments given the case?”

“Yeah,” Ness said, nodding, “I wouldn’t say I wasn’t completely in the public eye, since, well, I _ was _ . But nobody really noticed what I had done until it became noticeable. It’s not everyday that _ the whole world _would trust in a child, let alone one with powers.”

He sucked in a lungful of air, breathing in too much to the point that he began to cough. Joker firmly put a hand on his back as he did so. Ness turned to Joker, giving him a thumbs up. 

“Sorry,” he said, “I’m fine now.”

As Ness began to collect himself, Joker continued to speak.

“You know,” he said, “We’re kind of similar, you and I. Two teens out in the world, living where adults float above it all.”

“Putting it that way, I guess you’re right,” Ness said, “But literally _ everyone _here has saved the world at least once. What makes us so different?”

“Everyone has saved the world differently,” Joker replied, “We just happened to change the hearts and minds of corrupted adults.”

Ness cocked his head forward. “I guess? But for me, it was more than that. I didn’t want the world… well, _my _world, to be caught in the clutches of Giygas. I didn’t want people to obey him. Knowing that, I still feel bad killing him.”

“I understand,” Joker said, “But sometimes, you have to do things for the greater good. You have to set things on the right path,” Ness noticed him balling his hand into a fist, but that might have been his mind playing tricks on him, “Even if that means everyone around you having a twisted perception of you.” 

“I’m… sorry,” Ness said, his expression twisting into a slight frown, about to get up, “I didn’t wanna bring back certain memories.”

“It’s fine,” Joker responded calmly, “That isn’t the worst of it, after all.”

Ness didn’t understand what that could entail, but he decided to keep his word for it.

“Yanno,” Ness said, “Maybe we are similar after all. I mean, we both beat embodiments of evil for the sake of the world, carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders as well as our own reputation. And hey, I’d say we looked good doin’ it!”

Joker smiled. “I guess we did.”

The two of them laughed. It was the first time Joker was able to let loose since he came here. He wasn’t able to be _this_ casual around someone else either, seeing as his popularity skyrocketed since he came to Smash, with the other fighters desperately wanting to grab his attention. And hey, Ness was someone he understood profoundly. Not to mention, he was a great fighter.

“It’s gettin’ late,” Ness noticed, continuing to gaze at the sky, “You plannin’ on sleepin’ anytime soon?”

“I guess so,” Joker said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

Ness nodded. “Yeah, totally!”

And so, they went their own separate ways. As Ness returned to his room, he continued to think about what Joker said during their lengthy conversation earlier on.

“We’re kind of similar, you and I,” Joker’s statement echoed in his mind as Ness lulled himself to sleep. 


End file.
